Antigo man could be charged with homicide

According to news reports, an Antigo man could be charged by prosecutors with homicide after a woman fell out of his truck.

R. Brandon Bender, age 27, of North Avenue in Antigo was charged with Causing injury while Operating under Controlled Substance (2+) on 04/08/2013 in Marathon County, but since the woman has now died, those charges may change.

The passenger, Catherine F. Borchardt died from injuries in the crash, which was in the Elderon area. The crash took place around 3:00am Sunday morning and the woman died on Tuesday.

The news report indicate that Bender was driving after the two of them had visited several bars in the Wausau area, when taking a hard left, the woman fell out of the pickup truck. Bender took the woman to her home and then called for help when he realized that she was not breathing.

Law enforcement determined that the incident happened near the intersection of Highways 49 and 153.

Bender was tested for alcohol and tests showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.06 percent, which is below the legal limit. Bender told the police that he had smoked pot earlier in the night. There was alcohol found in the vehicle he was driving.

When an injury or death occurs in a situation like this, a person may be charged criminally even if their blood alcohol content is below the legal limit, which is 0.08 percent.

Bender has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 22. He is currently jailed in Marathon County with a $25,000 cash bond.

View current court record

Wausau Daily Herald story -Woman dead from Elderon crash injuries; boyfriend charged